HYDERABAD, Aug 29: A heavy police contingent raided a hunger strike camp at the Sindh Agriculture University campus in Tando Jam on Friday and roughed up about 40 protesters.

According to employees, police also resorted to aerial firing and baton-charge the employees protesting against the university’s vice-chancellor for the last about two months. Police action created harassment and panic in employee colony.

Sources said that the arrested employees had been shifted to different police stations of Matiari district. However, Tandojam police denied of arresting any employee, though it confirmed the raid on hunger strikers camp.

Police, however, failed to arrest the leaders of Employees Action Committee, Hussain Bux Veesar, Karam Ali Punhoon, Syed Abdul Majeed Shah Rashidi and others who vowed to continue the struggle till the removal of Vice-Chancellor, Dr Basheer Ahmed Shaikh.

Meanwhile, a press release by the university authorities alleged the struggle of turning violent and employees hurling stones on the houses of vice-chancellor and registrar, besides besieged the administration block and torturing the staff.

The university authorities hailed police action against employees and claimed that normal academics activities had resumed in the university.

When contacted by telephone, a Tandojam police official said that two cases of rioting had been registered against miscreants.

An FIR had been registered on the complaint of security officer of the university, Rehmat Ali, and another on behalf of the state by inspector Mohammad Sharif Parihar.

Encroachments: District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil has directed the police and municipal authorities to remove encroachments on footpath and has said that frequent traffic jams are the result of vehicles parking on roads and encroachments on footpath.

He was speaking at a meeting at his secretariat which discussed traffic problems.

He stressed the need for proper planning to eliminate the traffic jam situation in the city, especially during peak morning and evening hours.

He specifically mentioned the Gul Centre, Risala Road, Hyder Chowk, Lajpat Road, Station Road and other important roads where massive encroachments could be witnessed.